I haven't seen Bohemian Rhapsody. I meant to see it when it came out, but never did, and honestly, given the backlash, maybe that was the right call. So honestly, in the realms of Dexter Fletcher helmed musical biopics, I only really have an opinion on this one. And wow, Rocketman is really something quite special. It's interesting, because, while I liked Elton John before I saw it, I think this film converted me to a fan. And you know what? I'm completely okay with that. I think after all.of the stuff surrounding Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman seemed like a strange concept, but trust me when I say, this is no mere biopic. It's a full blown musical that takes the life and music if Elton John and crafts a larger than life fantasy rooted in aching tragedy. This is immediately set up by the film's opening, which sees The Bespectacled One burst into a rehab in full, fabulous stage gear.
The rehab is really the film's setting, with Elton recounting his life story and how he ended up there. And I'm just gonna get this out now, because it'll take up the whole review if I don't, but Taron Edgerton is absolutely stunning here. I think his career as a whole has been so exciting to follow, and this is definitely his best role so far. He perfectly captures the larger than life persona of such a glamorous rockstar, but also nails the deep, deep sadness behind the glitter, the loneliness that lies beneath the bravado, the pain of addiction and the wounds that are rooted so deeply into his being. The scenes where he literally has to put on a happy face are indicative of this film's incredibly honest approach, an honesty which Edgerton matches perfectly, never shying away from the film's tougher scenes. The crucial thing here is that you're always with him. The film never feels like it's just about Elton John, instead taking you on a guided tour of his world, which is as fabulous as it is achingly lonley
So yeah, this isn't a conventional biopic, instead illustrating his life with these crazy musical numbers set to his songs. And these sequences are. Absolutely. Bonkers. From the whirlwind boy-to-man transition of Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) to the gravity defying revelation of Crocodile Rock, the trippy, blurry rotation of Pinball Wizard, and the pure triumph of I'm Still Standing, all of these sequences absolutely stun. They're pure spectacle, but they work because they find his life story in his music, and represent that visually, instead of just having him play the songs. This full on musical approach really works, with the absolute standout being the titular number, which is just such a powerful scene, bringing everything in the film to a glorious crescendo that explodes from Elton being at his absolute lowest point. The film is never style over substance, and as stunning as these sequences are, they work because they're anchored to something deeply visceral within him. This is why Rocketman works, because it's able to meld musical fantasia and gut wrenching emotion, and it's really powerful stuff. Dexter Fletcher is a really good director, fearless and passionate, and unafraid to experiment, or go to unusual places, and for someone like Elton John, that's exactly what you need.
Rocketman is an absolute rollercoaster of a movie. It's fantastically made, hugely enjoyable, and electrifyingly emotional. I felt so many things so deeply for the whole thing. I laughed, cried and just felt so elated leaving it. I may not have been the most excited for it going in, but it turned out to be a wild, thoroughly enjoyable ride. Thrillingly, it operates on a massively emotional level, almost like Fletcher is directing with his heart instead of his head. It's nice to have a film that so unashamedly emotionally involved, especially because that's a hard thing to do without feeling cloying or overly sentimental, which, thankfully, Rocketman never does. Admittedly, it's definitely more emotionally charged than thematically complex, but since when was that a bad thing? This is one of the highlights of the year so far, and it really didn't have a false note in it. And I think the absolute best thing about it is that it's a love story, but not a romantic one. It's about loving yourself, forgiving yourself, and accepting yourself, and honestly? That's the exact kind of story we need more of
No comments:
Post a Comment